Bartender
A bartender is a professional in the hospitality industry who serves both alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages to patrons in various settings, such as bars, restaurants, and hotels. They typically work behind the bar, mixing drinks, taking food orders, and managing the bar's inventory. Bartenders often work in bustling environments, requiring them to interact with customers, waitstaff, and other team members while maintaining cleanliness and organization at the bar. The job may involve standing for long periods, working nights, and being flexible with schedules, particularly for part-time positions.
While no formal education is required, aspiring bartenders can benefit from training programs that cover mixology, beverage management, and food service sanitation. Skills in mathematics are valuable for managing transactions and measurements, and a background in culinary arts can enhance their ability to recommend food and drink pairings. Bartenders also face responsibilities that may include managing inventory, upholding legal drinking age laws, and ensuring customer safety. With a median annual earning of about $31,510, bartending offers a dynamic work environment for those who enjoy customer interaction and fast-paced settings.
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Subject Terms
Bartender
Snapshot
Career Cluster(s): Hospitality & Tourism
Interests: Busy hospitality environments, restaurant management, mathematics, customer service
Earnings (Yearly Median): $31,510 per year $15.15 per hour
Employment & Outlook: 3% (As fast as average)
Entry-Level Education No formal educational credential, though bartending training is an option
Related Work Experience None
On-the-job Training Short-term on-the-job training
Overview
Sphere of Work. A bartender is a worker in the service industry who serves alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages to patrons in a bar, restaurant, pub, hotel, or other private function setting. Bartenders usually work behind the main bar of an establishment, where they mix and serve drinks and collect payment from customers. They are often responsible for taking and serving food orders and maintaining the establishment’s bar inventory, including liquor, beer, wine, cocktail garnishes, and glassware. Bartenders are usually responsible for the cleanliness of their area and for other managerial duties behind the bar.
Work Environment. Bartenders typically work in the indoor bar or lounge area of a restaurant, club, hotel, or other food service establishment. If working at a private event or large catering function, or employed by a resort or cruise ship, a bartender may work outside. Bartenders usually report to a restaurant or club owner or an applicable supervisor or manager, and interact with waitstaff and barbacks, bar patrons, and other customers. Bartenders may work forty hours per week or less, most often at night and on weekends. Some bartenders may be required to work split shifts. Part-time bartending and waitstaff positions are generally far more prevalent than full-time positions, so bartenders must be flexible with their schedules.
Occupation Interest. Individuals interested in pursuing a career in bartending should enjoy interacting with others for long periods. They should also be in good physical shape, as the job may require standing up for most of the shift. They should also demonstrate an interest in mathematics, as bartenders constantly deal with the exchange of money and measurement calculations (though point-of-sale terminals, such as electronic cash registers, may mitigate such skills). An interest in the culinary arts, particularly preparing food and drink and recommending beverage pairings with food, is helpful for anyone considering bartending.
A Day in the Life—Duties and Responsibilities. Most bartenders report to work in the afternoon to prepare for an evening shift. Bartenders typically arrive at a restaurant, club, hotel, or other establishment and immediately begin working behind the bar. Before customers arrive, a bartender might clean the bar area, organize the beverages and glassware, and prepare the bar for customers; such tasks may include cutting fruit for garnishing, restocking inventory, and preparing any drink specials.
During a shift, bartenders usually receive drink and food orders from patrons and service staff. They are responsible for mixing and preparing drinks accurately and in a timely fashion, and according to a set recipe or customer request. Bartenders also handle all monetary transactions, including making change and operating a credit card machine or point-of-sale terminal, and enforce the legal drinking age. Bartenders often use restaurant equipment, such as dishwashers, refrigerators, blenders, drink machines, shakers, and automatic measuring devices. They carry heavy loads of glassware, trays of food and drinks, and other supplies. At the end of each shift, bartenders take inventory of the bar supplies and place orders accordingly.
In addition to their typical service duties, bartenders may take on managerial responsibilities as needed. These may include greeting and conversing with customers, dealing with outside vendors, opening and closing the bar or restaurant, refusing service to overly intoxicated customers, and managing the waitstaff.
Work Environment
Immediate Physical Environment. Most bartending is performed at restaurants, hotels, clubs, bars, pubs, and other service establishments. Bartenders usually work behind the bar in these settings. Most bar environments are noisy, bustling, and dimly lit. For some, exposure to secondhand smoke is a daily occurrence.
Human Environment. Bartenders usually work under the direction of an establishment's general manager or owner. They must also work and interact with waitstaff, bus people (such as barbacks, who assist in restocking the bar), hosts and hostesses, and customers. Being able to speak clearly and loudly is important.
Technological Environment. Bartenders use a variety of kitchen equipment to aid them in the preparation of food and beverages. They use large appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers, drink machines, blenders, and automatic measuring tools. They also operate a cash register or restaurant computer to record and calculate customer transactions. A bartender at an especially popular establishment may utilize social media to display drinks and events.
Education, Training, and Advancement
High School/Secondary. High school students interested in becoming bartenders should prepare themselves by taking courses in mathematics, communications, foods and nutrition, home economics, and computer technology. Prospective bartenders might involve themselves in extracurricular social groups or clubs at the high school level. They can supplement their education by taking courses in the culinary arts.
Postsecondary. After high school, students interested in becoming a bartender often attend vocational institutions that offer advanced classes and courses in the culinary arts. Many culinary programs provide instruction in food management, food purchasing, food service sanitation, beverage management, mixology and liquor laws, introduction to nutrition, and related subjects. Some programs may also offer work-study or work-exchange initiatives for students to gain experience in a restaurant or bar. Work-study opportunities may include apprenticeships, job shadowing, internships, or volunteer work.
Alternatively, bartenders can enroll in short bartender-training courses, often called mixology courses, that teach prospective bartenders how to serve alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, create and mix specialty beverages, follow standard recipes, and manage a bar.
Related Occupations
− Food and Beverage Service Worker
Bibliography
"Bartenders." Occupational Outlook Handbook. Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor, 17 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/bartenders.htm. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.
"Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023 35-3011 Bartenders." US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 3 Apr. 2024, www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes353011.htm. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.